Transcript A Gender Perspective of GPRS and the 2004 Budget - G-RAP

Gender Issues in the 2006
Budget
Paper presented at Budget Review Workshop
for Leaders of Parliament
Elmina November 12, 2005
Dr. William Ahadzie. Univ. of Ghana
Gender Budget Analysis
• Gender Analysis of national budgets aims to
incorporate gender variables into models on
which policy formulation, planning and budgeting
are based.
• It is therefore not a call for a separate budget for
women.
• Gender-neutral resource allocation in the past
has not leveraged the deprivation of women.
Gender-neutral allocation today will not do that
either.
Why Gender Approach to Budget
Analysis
• There is a strong association between gender, power,
decision-making and allocation of resources.
• Gender analyses of Policies and Budgets allow us to
track policy responses to noted gender differences in
access to resources and participation in decisionmaking processes
• Gender analysis helps in monitoring progress
towards meeting goals in international agreements to
which we are signatories. (Int’l Covenant on
Economic, Political Social and Cultural Rights,
CEDAW, NEPAD, MDGs etc.
Why GB-contd
• Policy impact is different for men and women.
The situation of women is relatively worse than
that of men (GPRS 1).
• Resource allocation must respond to the
needs of the various social groups on an
equitable manner.
• There is a challenge to reverse
underutilisation of the potential of women
Approaches to Gender Budgeting
• Budget is govt primary fiscal policy instrument. it
is important to examine its fiscal and economic
assumptions and effects-impact on annual deficit
and national debt; and effects on outcomes such
as inflation, growth and employment.
• Pursue a gender aware policy appraisal-looking
at how policies and programs funded by public
money will help reduce (or increase) gender
inequalities.
Approaches to Gender Budgetingcontd
• Analyse incidence of public expenditure by
comparing distribution of benefits among women,
men, girls and boys. Also examine gender impact of
expenditure cuts
• Analyse revenue sources to check (distributional
effects) how taxes or user charges affect different
categories of households or individuals, match
revenue and expenditure.
• Analyse impact of govt spending on time use of
women and men (allocation of public money has a
direct impact on the way time is spent within the
household)
Current Commitments
• As signatories to the MDGs we are
committed (by 2015) to
– Provide universal basic education
– Achieve equivalent levels of education for boys and
girls
– Achieve reduction of infant mortality to below 35/1000
live births
– Reduce maternal mortality by half
– Achieve life expectancy of greater than 70
Analysis of 2006 Budget -outline
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Analysis of the Broad Economic Policy
Sector Expenditure Analysis
Gender Analysis of Revenue Projections
The Budget as an Instrument of Promoting
Rights
• Ratio of gender-specific allocation to total
discretionary expenditure-determining
gender-sensitivity
Broad Macro-Econ Policy
• Like the 2005 Budget the 2006 Broad Policy is
largelygender neutral.
• It proposes mainstreaming the Vulnerable and
Excluded in Human Resource development
(250)
• Under Transfer to households (205), we assume
that the projected increase in amount to the
NHIF will reduce the problems of access and
quality of health service to women
Sector Analysis
• The introduction to Sectoral Performance
(p. 60) makes reference to achieving
GPRS II goals through accelerated and
sustained growth, poverty reduction,
promotion of gender equity, protection and
empowerment of the vulnerable and
excluded within a decentralised
democratic environment. Indicative of
gender considerations.
Sector Exp Analysis-Agric
• Main thrust is improving the environment for private
sector participation through a no. of interventions.
(refer to 275)
• Crop Programmes aim at promoting cereal
production, rice, legumes, nuts, plantain pineapple
and horticulture.-women predominate in food crop
production.
• Small scale irrigation facilities will be provided-this
will aid small-holder women food crop farmers.
• Other initiatives are cross cutting (refer to 313/314)
Sector Exp Analysis-Educ
• Very gender sensitive• 682-improve access and expedite progress
towards Universal Pry Completion -by 2015 and
Gender Parity during 2006.
• 683-scholarship for needy students to achieve
gender parity
• 684-Capitation Grant
• Free Ride on Metro Transit for School Chldn
Sector Exp Analysis- Health
• Also gender sensitive-bridging equity gaps in
access to quality healthcare and nutrition
services (728)
• 730 gives targets that provide planned anti-natal
and post natal coverage, supervised deliveries
and reduction in maternal deaths
• The NHIS is to be expanded in the year-more
access for women (741)
•
Sector Exp Analysis- MOWAC
• Section 771
• Establish a reliable Gender disaggregated data
base
• Enhance collaboration with sector MDAs, Civil
Society and NGOs towards implementation of
Gender Equality and Gender Equity
programmes
• Organise gender mainstreaming training for
MDAs
• Dedicated Micro credit schemes to empower
women
2006 Budget -Revenue Analysis
• The personal Income Tax reliefs (1080) provided
will cover women in paid employment.
• Tax credit schemes should allow companies to
adopt affirmative action to hire more women into
the management of organisation.
• Special schemes are required for women
working in the informal sector
2006 Budget -Rights Protection
• We are signatories the International Covenant on
Economic, Social and Cultural rights-fair wages,
safe and healthy working conditions, social
insurance, food clothing, housing, physical and
mental health and education. Inequity in
allocations represents rights-violation.
• Our public fiscal policy making is still not rightsresponsive. (RBA is not yet part of formal policy
formulation). Duty bearers (policy-makers) lack
knowledge of RBA and rights-holders (women
included) are largely powerless, voiceless and
ignorant of their rights
2006 Budget -Gender Sensitivity
• Decomposition of discretionary
expenditure is difficult due to aggregate
nature of allocations.
Progress to Achieve MDGs
• Section 1080-1096
• Programmes for accelerated registration
on NHIS
• Subsidy system will be reviewed and
expanded
• Financial support to schemes
Approving the Budget
• Review the GPRS II framework and its link
with the Annual Budget
• Present a diagnosis of women and poverty
• Analyse govt policy for gender sensitivity
on the basis of diagnosis
• Evaluate (in)sufficiency of allocations for
carrying out this policy
• Reallocate resources on the basis of
Equity
Way Forward
• Measure impact of spending using
outcomes and outputs
• Work on policy proposals and alternativeshow to achieve different outcomes, how to
have more impact on gender gap.